Doing so does, indeed, lead to scandalizing one who espouses them.

Doing so does, indeed, lead to scandalizing one who espouses them. Some people may be of the view that tackling some fixed creeds represents a form of innovative thinking, Islamic or historical education, and the like. But the fact is that what is regarded as falling in such a category, generally speaking, represents a call to discuss issues which others in past generations had already discussed. Even many of them mention some such issues nowadays when holding discussions with Imamite Shi’as.

Such a discussion traverses the folds of their words, spoken and sectarian renunciations, in their books, as any informed researcher knows. Imamite Shi’as have always answered the same clearly and precisely, in a responsible and an aware way, praise to Allah. There is a statement which we have heard and read more than once saying that we should not have any apprehension against putting issues forth to people to discuss.

It claims that the Qur’an has conveyed to us the thoughts of those who cast doubts about the Prophet (S) saying, “How can we know what they said about him being a madman, a wizard, or a liar, had the Qur’an not revealed their antagonistic stances?” Let me say the following: FIRST: Their claim that he (S) was a wizard, a liar, or a madman does not represent “ideologies” of those who cast doubts; rather, it is merely cursing, condemning and insulting the Messenger of Allah (S) within the scope of their media assaults against him.

Those who personally said so, more than anyone else, knew very well that they were lying. SECOND: Raising questions and throwing doubts and insults, accusing the Prophet (S), or anyone else…, is not considered an expression of an ideology, much less the “modernization” of an ideology. THIRD: While narrating the statements of these folks, the Qur’an mentioned them as responding to the first party, falsifying them. The Qur’an was not satisfied with just bringing them about.

Nor did it leave them up in the air so that they would rest in the hearts of people who had no means of knowledge to enable them to subject them to their judgment with precision, awareness and depth. Some people say that the scholar’s responsibility is to demonstrate his knowledge when innovations appear within and without the Islamic reality, and if he does not do so, the curse of Allah will then be on him, as the Prophet (S) has said.